Warp feed equalizer



y 1957 H. M. BROWN 2,797,468

WARP FEED EQUALIZER Filed June so, 1954 INVEN TOR. H GH M- BR NAgricultural College of South i irolina, 'Clemson, S. C., a corporation.of South Carolina Applie'ationl'une 30, 1954, Serial No. 440,312

2 Elaims. or. eta-=35 This invention relates to improvements in warpersand especially to an arrangement for producing improved warps from glassyarn, or any yarn that has low extensibility; by winding all ends at auniform rate.

According to my invention, the uniformity of winding rate isaccomplished by the use of ,apairof warp equalizing rolls which grip allthe ends simultaneously and cause them ;to be brought forward at thesame rate.

In the warping or beaming process the yarn is first wound on sectionbeams with the ends rather widely spaced. As the winding progresses theyarn will pile up in a little ridge around the beam at the point whereeach end is guided onto the beam, and there will be small valleysbetween these ridges of yarn. As the winding continues the ends willwind on the ridges for a time and will then fall down into the valleysand wind there for a time; later when the valleys are filled, moreridges will be built up and the cycle repeated. Since in the usual casethe yarn is pulled from packages, with each end controlled by its owntension device, the ends being wound on the ridges will be drawn fasterthan those running in the valleys. This results in more yarn being woundby the ends on the ridges than those in the valleys, and this differencein winding rate will recur periodically for any given end as the endalternately winds on a ridge and then in a valley.

In the past, when dealing with yarns of relatively high extensibility,it has been the practice when weaving from a beam formed in this fashionto stretch all of the ends to a point where those ends which were woundat a higher rate (i. e., on a ridge) are sufficiently taut to weavesatisfactorily. This practice produced a somewhat higher tension in theends that had been wound in a valley but with yarns of relatively highextensibility this increase in tension was not serious. In the case ofglass yarn, however, the extensibility is so small that the ends whichwere originally wound in the valleys cannot be stretched sufiiciently totighten the ends which have more yarn in them because they were wound onthe ridges.

A primary object of my invention is to provide an improved warper whichis capable of making improved warps from yarn by feeding all of the endsto the beam at a uniform rate.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pair of warp feedequalizing rolls which are pressed together and rotated by virtue of thefeeding motion of the ends which are passed around the rolls beforebeing wound onto a beam, and which equalize the rate of feed of all ofthe ends.

Still another object is to provide a pair of equalizing rolls mounted ina novel fashion so as to facilitate the threading up of the warper.

Referring to the drawing, which shows one embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the warp equalizer as it wouldappear immediately after the threading-up operation, one bearingstandard being omitted for a better showing;

atent Patented July 2, 1957 Figure 2 is a schematic representation ofthe position of the two rolls during the first step of the threading-upoperation;

Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the rolls in the positioncorresponding to the condition shown in Figure 1; V

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of the rolls "in the operatingposition; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view .of the warp equalizer in theoperating position, with one bearing standard omitted as in Figure 1.

My warp equalizer comprises a pair of rolls 1, '2 supported in parallelrelation by a pairfdf brackets 3 at opposite ends of the rolls. Rolls 1andfZ ('or at least one of them) are covered with ,a layer of material,suchas rubber, to increase the frictional grip of the rolls on the warpends passing between them. Roll 1 is rotatable about shaft 4 which isjournalled directly inone tend of each bracket 3. At the other end ofeach bracket ,3 is formed a slot 5, each slot having a block 6 slida'blymounted therein. These blocks 6 are retained in the slots 5 by means ofpins 7. Roll 2 is rotatable about shaft '8 which is journalled in blocks6. By this construction, roll 2 may be removed from its mounting andseparated from roll '1. I I i Brackets 3, carrying rolls 1, 2 arerotatable about shaft 9 which is located to one side of a line joiningthe center lines of shafts 4 and 8. Shaft 9 is supported in suitablebearings carried by standards 10 which are mounted on the frame of aconventional warper. Shaft 9 is rigidly secured to brackets 3 by lockingthe shaft in apertured lugs 3a fonned integrally with the brackets atthe middle of one side edge thereof. Thus, shaft 9 maintains brackets 3in proper alignment. The entire roll mounting may be rotated about theaxis of shaft 9 by means of a hand wheel 9a mounted on one end of shaft9. Combs 11 and 12 are part of the usual warper, comb 11 being the frontcomb adjacent the beam.

Referring to Figure 5, when the warp equalizer is in operation, the yarnW passes from the creel, through comb 12, around roll 1, between roll 1and roll 2, around roll 2, and through comb 11 to the beam. With theyarn passed around the rolls 1, 2 in the manner illustrated, tension inthe yarn tightens the yarn on the rolls and also tightens or draws roll2 against roll 1, due to the freedom of motion afforded roll 2 by reasonof shaft 4 being journalled in sliding blocks 6. This dual grippingaction results in each end being fed through the warp equalizer at thesame rate, specifically at the peripheral speed of the rolls 1, 2. Anyincrease in tension which might cause slippage results in an increase ingripping action to prevent such slippage from occurring. As a result,the ends being Wound on the beam in a valley will be under less tensionand will be wound looser than the ends being wound on the ridges. Thiscauses a variation in the density of the wind which compensated for thedifference in rate of winding which would result if the yarn were woundunder a constant tension.

The various stages of threading up the warper are illustrated in Figures2, 3 and 4. The first step is to rotate brackets 3 to the position shownin Figure 1. It will then be possible to remove pins 7 and remove roll 2by sliding blocks 6 out of slots 5. The ends of yarn are then threadedup in the usual fashion, passing over roll 1 as shown in Figure 2. Roll2 is then replaced by sliding blocks 6 into slots 5 and replacing pins7. The yarn is then gripped between rolls 1, 2 as shown in Figure 3. Inorder to wrap the yarn around rolls 1, 2 in the desired fashion, theroll mounting is then rotated in a counterclockwise direction until therolls assume the position shown in Figures 4 and 5. The equalizing rollsare then ready to function in the above-described manner,

mamas As shown in Figure 5, in normal operation roll 1 is arranged inadvance of roll 2 in the direction of movement of the warp W, wherebythe warp engages considerably more than one-half the periphery of eachroll, and

the rolls are located in such position that tension on the warp pressesthe rolls together. 1

While my warp feed equalizer is especially useful in the beaming ofWarp, it is obvious that the equalizer may be used in other situationswhere the feeding of ends is to be equalized.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for equalizing the feeding of warp ends comprising, afirst friction roll arranged on one side of said warp ends transverselythereof, a second friction roll mounted on the opposite side of saidwarp ends adjacent to and parallel with said first roll, a supportmounting said rolls for relative movement towards and away from eachother and in a first position with said first roll located above and inadvance of said second roll in the direction of movement of said warpends, whereby said ends engage a major portion of the periphery of saidfirst roll, pass between said first roll and said second roll andthereafter engage a major portion of the periphery of said second roll,and tension in said ends urge said first roll and said second rolltogether, thereby gripping all of said ends and producing a uniform rateof feed of said ends, means pivotally mounting said support, for turningabout an axis parallel to the axes of said rolls to move said rolls intoa second position where said second roll is above said first roll, andreleasable latch elements embodied in said support for retaining saidsecond roll in said support, said second roll being removable from saidsupport upon release of said latch elements.

2. In a warp feed equalizer, the combination of a pair of brackets, apivoted support for mounting said brackets in spaced relation along acommon axis transversely of the ends to be wound and for turning aboutsaid axis, each bracket having a slot formed in one end portion thereof,a block slidably mounted in each of said slots, a first roll journalledbetween said brackets, a second roll journalled between said blocksadjacent to and parallel with said first roller, said blocks beingfreely slidable in said slots to move said second roll into free rollingengagement with said first roll, and said pivotal support being mountedto rotate from a position in which said slots are directed upwardly toanother position in which the slots are directed downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS791,404 Cooper May 30, 1905 1,140,460 Jaeger May 25, 1915 1,828,918Balthasar Oct. 27, 1931 2,346,358 Busse Apr. 11, 1944 2,686,018 CourtneyAug. 10, 1954

